Jim Marshall

Jim Marshall (1936–2010) was an American photographer whose work captured the spirit of rock ’n’ roll’s golden era with unparalleled intimacy. After studying journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, he began freelancing for Rolling Stone and Life magazines in the mid‑1960s. His breakthrough came when he gained backstage access to the Fillmore West, shooting legends such as Jimi Hendrix smashing his guitar, Janis Joplin performing in a haze of stage fog, and Johnny Cash’s impromptu prison concert at Folsom State Prison.

Marshall’s style combined technical skill with a genuine affinity for his subjects—he favored available light and quick framing to preserve the energy of live performance. Over four decades he documented everyone from the Beatles on their final American tour to the Ramones in dingy New York clubs, creating an archive that reads like a visual history of modern music. His photographs have been exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Beyond concert halls, Marshall captured behind‑the‑scenes moments—road trips with the Rolling Stones, conversation in hotel rooms, and relaxed portraits at home. He published several monographs, including The Rolling Stones 1964–1969 and Jimi Hendrix: Blues, and received a Grammy Trustees Award for his contributions to music culture. Marshall’s images endure as a testament to both the power of live music and the photographer’s ability to become part of the story he was telling.